The gift of the gab

Cricketer-turned-MP Navjot Singh Sidhu’s ability to recite poetry at will has won him a large number of fans. After he finished his last speech, Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury caught him in the corridor and asked whether he had any books on Urdu poetry at home. “No yaar, I just recite these poems extempore,” Sidhu replied. Chowdhury, in turn, said, “Then you should write a book on shayari so that we can also learn.” A beaming Sidhu said that after his speech was over, Speaker Meira Kumar had sent him a note saying “you spoke very well”.